Gene Therapy Study Protects Against Peanut Allergy

A new gene therapy developed by scientists at Weill Cornell Medicine could eventually prevent the life-threatening effects of peanut allergy with just a single dose, according to a new pre-clinical study.

In the study published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology in June 29, 2016 , Weill Cornell Medicine investigators demonstrated that one dose of a gene therapy in mice boosts the efficacy of a drug that has been proven effective against peanut allergy. Without the gene therapy, its protection against peanut allergy wears off in a matter of weeks.

Dr. Ronald Crystal, chairman of Genetic Medicine and the Bruce Webster Professor of Internal Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, announced “It appears that we’ve developed a drug that, with a single administration, might one day cure peanut allergy.” He explained further, “If we prove that it is safe and that it works in humans, it could change the way we treat allergic people.”